A magnet school focuses on a theme and/or different approach to learning. This magnet’s theme will be “community” and its approach is hands-on and highly personalized.

The Cedar Rapids Community School District is committed to providing a myriad of options for its parents, students, and community.

This school will focus heavily on preparing students for their futures by engaging them in authentic work with and in our community. This school will also tailor experiences to the student’s interests so they are prepared to pursue a college degree or want to immediately enter the workforce.

– Any CRCSD resident student
– Any currently open enrolled out student with a CRCSD address
– Any student wishing to open enroll into the CRCSD to attend City View

Complete the simple application process to place you/your student into the lottery. There are no other requirements other than a desire to attend the school. In its first year (2022-23), the school will be open to any 9th or 10th grader interested in attending. The second year the school will welcome juniors and in the third year, seniors, at which point the magnet school will be a 9-12 school. While our first year will focus only on grades 9 & 10, the school will develop into a 9-12 school over a period of 3 years. So, students beginning in the magnet school in year one will be able to graduate at this school.

Due to the highly personalized nature of this school, it can fit any type of learner. This school may be right for your family if your son/daughter:

Is an athlete or performer who needs more flexibility in their schedule or has other outside-of-school commitments where flexibility is needed
Is frequently bored and/or frustrated with school
Has lost interest in learning or doing well in school
Is disengaged, lost, or just doesn’t feel a sense of belonging at school
Has a clear sense of what they want to do and where they want to go post-high school
Learns best in hands-on situations and/or likes to create and make new things
Wants a smaller learning environment

While responsible for the same standards as every other CRCSD high school, City View HS will have a different approach to reaching those and other important learnings. A few key differences between a traditional experience and City View includes:
Students will have strong ownership of their graduation requirements and how (and when) they are going to get there
Community-based projects. Much of their learning will come in the form of working on authentic projects with local businesses, non-profits, and government agencies
More opportunities for 1:1 and small group interactions with teachers and other caring adults
Interdisciplinary learning – students will be able to secure credits from several subjects in one course, project, or experience
Defining and clarifying their personal goals and purposes and designing a pathway towards those goals
The ability to self-select a strong mentor who will support the student throughout their experience

The school will provide a comprehensive transcript not only documenting and sharing your academic abilities but also your development as a whole person – what you care about, who you want and are trying to be, etc. Essentially, students will exit this school with a strong and compelling story about themselves and their skills and abilities. Such a transcript is warmly welcomed by America’s premiere colleges and universities.

For the vast majority of students we envision their last year with us being one in which they are focusing heavily on preparing for what’s next. For example:
If a student knows they want to be an electrician after high school, their math, science, English and social studies would all focus on the content and skills needed by an electrician as well as job shadowing and interning as appropriate
If a student is preparing to be a doctor, they would be learning the content and skills needed to help them be successful as a pre-med student in college as well as job shadowing and interning as appropriate

There will be a heavy focus on developing and maturing these skills, which will include (but not necessarily limited to):
Time and calendar management
Purpose and goal development
Building and developing a supportive personal and professional network
Working effectively on teams & collaborating
Managing complex projects
Knowing how to be a “self-grower” – a person who can learn and move forward independently and with and in support of others
“Adulting” skills and abilities – managing adult day-to-day items (rent, saving, insurance, etc.)
Communication skills – listening, presenting, writing, speaking, dealing with conflict/challenging conversations, etc.

All students will have access to the full range of co-curricular activities offered by CRCSD. In most cases, students will participate on the teams and groups at the high school they would have normally attended. In other words, if I’m a Kennedy football player I will continue to be a Kennedy football player and get to participate with my friends from that school. Parents of busy teens may find the flexibility of City View appealing.

The magnet school will assemble some co-curricular clubs and activities as driven by student need and interest. (example: a group of students want to start a chess or gamers club or hip-hop group)

Enrollment logistics are forthcoming. Check back soon!

Currently, 100 seats at both 9th and 10th grade will be available for the 2022-23 school year. IF more than 100 student applications are received for either grade, THEN CRCSD will select the student body through a blind lottery.

In order to serve a broad array of students and families, it is important that families be offered choices. City View Community HS will not be a copy of our already outstanding comprehensive high schools. Rather, it will provide a different approach to learning for parents and students to opt into.

For the past several years Cedar Rapids has converted existing elementary and middle schools into magnet schools. Magnet schools are schools of choice that focus on a particular theme or approach to learning. For our high school Magnet school, we opted to open an entirely new school under the Cedar Rapids Virtual Academy umbrella (CRVA).

City View is located in downtown Cedar Rapids, on the first floor of the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance.

In order to ensure we are successful and can grow at a rate we can handle, we are starting with 9th and 10th graders. In 2024 we will add juniors and in 2025 seniors at which time we will be a 9-12 school.